You Can't Make Me
by FoolofaTook17
Summary: Jack finds a kid in the jungle who he's never seen before. When he and Locke bring him back to the camp, no one from the tail section recognizes him, either. He's from somewhere else.
1. Green Eyes

He runs desperately through the jungle, constantly tripping himself up by stumbling over his untied sneaker laces. He doesn't care; he just wants to get out. He just wants to find a way out. He just wants to leave. 

He wants to scream, but his mouth won't open. His brain commands him to stop, but his legs won't listen. He keeps running, eyes wide and nervous. He can't trust anyone. Not now. Not anymore. Not after them.

He glances behind him every so often, just to make sure they aren't following him. Sometimes he thinks he can hear their voices whispering, lulling him to come back, that everything will be better if he comes back.

He's getting more exhausted every second. He begins to gasp, trying to get every ounce of air into his lungs that he can. He can feel his hands shaking uncontrollably. They're cold and sweaty.

His sneakers skid to a stop as Jack grabs him by the shoulders.

Jack stares into his eyes. They're an electric shade of green. Jack's never seen that color of green in eyes before. His hair was dark blonde, and was in the middle of being short and being long. He looks to be around sixteen or seventeen.

"Who are you?" Jack asks.

He tries to turn away, but Jack tightens his grip on his shoulders. "Who are you?"

He won't answer. He stares at Jack, his eyes wide. He begins to cry, taking Jack by surprise. "Hey," he says. "Hey, calm down. It's gonna be okay. I'm not gonna hurt you. I just want to know what your name is."

"No," he whispers.

"Why not?"

"I'm not going back there. You can't make me. Nobody can make me. I'm never going back there."

"Wait, you're never going back where?"

"There."

"Where?"

He points a shaky finger behind them.

Locke comes out from somewhere, peeking around cautiously, a rifle in hand.

"Oh God…" he mutters, eyes fixated on Locke's gun.

"John, what're you doing here?" Jack asks.

Locke shrugs. "Nothing much. Just looking around." He eyes the boy, looking him over. "Who's this?"

"I don't know. I just found him."

Locke takes a step toward the boy, who tries to shy away, wanting to stay away from the gun as much as possible.

"John, don't. He doesn't like the gun," Jack tells him. Locke stops.

"What's your name, son?" he asks in his Locke-like voice.

He doesn't answer.

"He won't say anything. He just keeps telling me that he'll never go back there." Jack nods toward the area behind them.

"Are you bringing him back to the camp?"

"No!" the boy yelps. "I'm not going back! You can't make me!" He begins struggling again, and Jack has a hard time restraining him.

"We're not going to make you do anything," Locke assures him. "We just want to help you."

"No, you don't," he whispers. His eyes have a look of paranoia in them.

"Jaakkee…" a voice sings out. "Come on out, Jake, we're not gonna hurt you. We just want to talk. It's okay." The voice is a long way off, but is making its way toward them.

He reacts to this. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God. No, God, please, no." He stares at Jack and Locke pleadingly. "You have to let me go," he begs. "I have to get away from them. Please."

Jack and Locke look at each other. Locke looks Jake over.

"He's not going to lose them in we let him go," he observes. "He's too tired."

Jake's eyes widen as he realizes what Locke is suggesting. His breathing quickens, and his voice becomes panicked.

"I need to go," he repeats. "Please."

"We can't, kid. You won't make it by yourself," Jack tells him. With that, he turns him towards their camp and begins marching him forward.

"No!" Jake yells. "Let me go! Let me go"  
"Jake, are you all right? C'mon, buddy, we're here to help you." The voice is getting closer.

Jake begins hyperventilating. He feels lightheaded, and images surrounding him begin to swirl around in his head. He squeezes his eyes shut and tries to dig his heels into the dirt. "I can outrun them," he tells Jack. "I can."

"No, you can't, Jake, and you know it," Locke says, quickening the group's pace.

Jake stares at him, wild eyed. "How do you know my name?" he asks. "You're one of them, aren't you? Oh, God, help me."

"Jake, stop. Just calm down, okay? Can you do that?" Locke asks.

"No," Jake answers. "I won't let you do it again. I won't. I won't." His breathing gets even faster, and suddenly Jack feels his body go limp.

He stares at Jake's motionless body, then looks up at Locke. "We need to get him to the camp fast," he says.

"Jake! This isn't funny anymore. This isn't hide-and-seek," the voice says. It's a guy, maybe in his mid-thirties.

Locke nods. He bends down and picks up Jake's ankles. "Let's go."


	2. Belleville Rendezvous

i forgot to add the disclaimer last time, so here it is now: i don't own any characters or anything mentioned in this story. Except for Jake. 

and many thanks go to **millllllllly** for reviewing this! you rock my socks :)

"Jack, what the bloody hell did you do to him?" Charlie asks.

"Nothing," Jack answers defensively. "We found him like this. Well, when we found him, we didn't notice that he looked this bad."

With that, the small group of survivors crowded around Jake came closer to observe the still unconscious body. Both of his eyes are black, and it's not because of eyeliner. His bottom lip looks as though it had been bleeding at one time or another. He has bruises all over his arms.

Locke bends down and picks up one of Jake's limp wrists. "He's been tied up for awhile," he tells them. "You can still see the marks that the rope made." He lifts up Jake's jeans slightly to view his ankle. "They tied his feet, too."

"Where do you think he's from?" Claire asks anxiously.

Jack looks up and sees Mr. Eko, Ana Lucia, and Libby. "Have you guys ever seen him?" he asks.

"Not until now," Libby answers for all of them. "Poor guy."

"Well, we've never seen him, either," Jack tells them.

Ana Lucia shrugs. "Then that means he's from somewhere else."

"Dude," Hurley mutters.

"Where else could he be from? Are you saying there could be even more people scattered all over this damn place?" Sawyer demands.

"It's possible," Locke says. "I mean, we didn't know anyone from the tail section survived, until we met you. It's entirely possible."

"I guess we'll just have to wait until he wakes up," Kate says.

"Come on, Locke. Help me bring him into the tent. Sun can look over him until he regains consciousness. She seems good at calming people down. Then I can have a look at him later," Jack instructs.

Jake slowly forces his eyes open, and sees a Korean woman staring down at him. She startles him, but he's too tired to react.

"Hello," she says, smiling at him. "How're you feeling?"

"Who are you?"

"My name is Sun. I've heard that your name is Jake," she answers, handing him a water bottle. He takes it hesitantly, keeping his eyes on her, even though she seems nice.

"It is." He sits up slowly, rubbing his head. It doesn't hurt; it's just his instinct. "Where am I?"

"At the camp," she answers simply.

Jake has a sinking feeling as he listens to her answer. Is he back at the camp, or are there tons of them all over the place? Is this lady--Sun--just faking being nice to relax him, or is she really just nice? His head is swimming with questions and fears, but he doesn't dare voice any of them to her. Not yet.

"How long am I supposed to stay here?"

Sun shrugs. "Jack is going to look at you. He should be here pretty soon, I think."

The name sounds familiar. Jack. And there was another guy, John. Jake shudders slightly. John had a gun. He's seen far too many guns lately.

"You seem a lot more calm now," Sun tells him.

"What does that mean?" Jake asks, his eyes wide and defensive.

Sun smiles a little, slightly taken aback by his response. She sits down next to him. "It doesn't mean anything," she explains. "Jack just told us that you were very feisty in the jungle. Very nervous. You seem to be better now."

Sun reminds him of someone. Someone he lost a long time ago.

Jack peeks his head into the tent. "Good, he's up," he says. He turns to Sun. "Did he drink any water?"

She nods. "Some."

"Do you mind if I talk with him a little?"

"No. Go ahead." Sun gets up and begins to walk out of the tent. Jake stares at her, wanting her to stay.

"Jake," Jack says softly. "Can I ask you something? Jake?"

Jake doesn't answer. He begins sweating, and his body is trembling all over. Jack can see tears mixing in with his sweat. Jake holds his head in his hands and falls back down, his head hitting the warm sand with a thud.

"Jake?" Jack asks, going over to him. Jake doesn't answer; he just keeps crying. "Jake, come on, talk to me."

"I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!" he shrieks, gasping in between each breath. "I'm gonna die! They're gonna come and I'm gonna die!"

Jack puts his hands on Jake's shoulders. "C'mon, Jake," he mutters, trying to calm him down. "Pull through, it's gonna be okay. You're not gonna die."

"I'm gonna die!"

"No, you're not. No, you're not."

Sun, Hurley, and Claire hear Jake's cries, and run into the tent, half wanting to help, and half wanting to know what was going on.

"Jack, what happened to him?" Claire asks, staring at him.

"Nothing. He's going to be fine…Sun, can you give him some of that water?" Jack asks.

"Dude, look at him! The kid's like, like, I don't know, but whatever it is, it's not good. It's like he's…rabid or something," Hurley says.

"I'm gonna die! We're all gonna die!" Jake yells again, his face turning red.

"Holy crap," Hurley mutters. "Jack, are you sure this kid's normal?"

"Yes," Jack answers firmly. He glances at the watch he found earlier. "It's almost over, Jake. Almost over."

Sure enough, after about two minutes, Jake stops. His tears cease, and his shaking slowly recedes.

"What the hell was that?" Sawyer demands, his sunglasses shoved up on his forehead, yet another book in his hand.

"A panic attack," Jack sighs. "It was a panic attack."


	3. When the Sun Goes Down

Disclaimer: i don't own anyone in this story. Except for Jake, and any other character i make up. 

Also, many thanks go out to **Richard Starkey** for writing review #2! you rock my socks, as well :)  
and i checked out your story, it's wicked good! i really like it

"What the hell is a damn panic attack, Doc?" Sawyer asks, annoyed that he had been disturbed by Jake's screams.

"It's a type of disorder," he begins, "that happens really randomly. They normally last between 2 and 8 minutes, which is probably why Jake's didn't last as long as it looked like it would've."

"Is that as bad as it can get?" Hurley wants to know.

Jack shakes his head. "It can get worse. They always seem to be brought on by nothing, but have varying levels of severity. I think Jake's was pretty mild."

"So…he could break out in one of these things any time he wants to?" Claire says, cradling Aaron.

"He doesn't want to. It just happens. That's why it's a disorder. He has no control over it."

"Damn it, now he can wake up the whole camp with that mouth of his!" Sawyer snaps, exasperated.

Claire shoots Sawyer an icy glare. "This kid's got a disorder, Sawyer. You should feel bad for him, at least, not get mad that he'll wake everyone up."

"You should talk. You're the one with the damn baby. Well, I guess now he can take a break and this kid can take over, huh?"

"Shut your mouth."

"Why dontcha shut it for me?"

"Dude, step off," Hurley says, stepping between Sawyer and Claire, even though it was highly unlikely that Claire was going to pick a fight with Sawyer.

"Uh…Sun, why don't you stay with Jake for a little while, okay?" Jack asks. Sun nods. Jack stands up and ushers Sawyer, Hurley, and Claire out of the tent.

Jake is sitting there, knees pulled up to his chest, staring at the tent's entrance. Sun quietly sits down next to him.

"Does that always happen to you?" she asks.

He nods.

"It must be hard. Not having any control over something like that. I'd never be able to manage it." She smiles a little. Jake grins a bit.

"You get used to it," he tells her. "I mean, it's just as scary each time, but you get used to the fact that it'll come at any moment, I guess you could say."

Sun nods. After a short pause, she says, "You have beautiful eyes."

He looks at her, his cheeks flushed. "Thanks," he says shyly.

"I've never seen eyes like that before."

"Not many people have. At least, that's what they tell me."

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

She raises her eyebrows. "Really? Have you been living on the island alone?"

"Sometimes." His eyes take on a faraway look.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, I don't know, sometimes there are people with me. Sometimes I'm alone. Sometimes there are people that I…hate…with me. Stuff like that, I guess. I don't know."

"Which part of the island did you come from?"

"A lot of places. I don't know." It all looks the same to him.

"Well, you're always welcome here, Jake," Sun assures him warmly.

He looks up at her and grins timidly. "You remind me of someone," he tells her.

"Really?" Sun asks, flattered. "Who is that?"

"My mom."

Charlie stifles a yawn as he and Hurley sit around one of the many fires lighting up the beach. "I'm so bloody tired," he mutters, resting his head on Hurley's shoulder.

Hurley pulls his shoulder away, causing Charlie's head to come down on the sand with a thud. "Dude, don't go there," he warns as Charlie straightens himself.

"I've already gone there. I've gone there and come back," Charlie teases, grinning, knowing that he was making Hurley uncomfortable.

"Dude, that's disgusting," Hurley tells him. "I should slap you for that."

"Heh."

"I thought you liked Claire, dude."

Charlie goes silent, his grin gone. "I do like her," he says softly. "I don't know if she likes me."

Hurley snickers. "We could do a little matchmaking around here," he says, rubbing his hands together eagerly. "Where is she?"

"Hurley, no!" Charlie yelps, jumping up. "You better not…"

"Claire!"

"Hurley!" Charlie yells, kicking him. "Shut up!"

"Okay, okay!" Hurley laughs. "I was just kidding, dude. Relax." Charlie sits back down, his chin in his hands.

"So…" Hurley says, trying to start a new conversation, "you met that kid yet?"

Charlie shakes his head. "Nah. Have you?"

"Haven't really talked to him, but I could show you who he is."

"What's his name again?"

"Jake, I think. He had some panic attack today in the tent."

Charlie's eyes widen. "Was that the bloody screamin' going on? That was him?"

"That was him."

"Damn it."

Hurley yawns, not bothering to try and stifle it. "I'm so bloody tired," he mutters, resting his head on Charlie's shoulder.

"Hurley!" Charlie yelps, jumping up again. Hurley laughs at him.

"Now you know how I feel," he says. "Not very good havin' some dude put his head on your shoulder, huh?"

"Okay, okay, no, it's not. Can we just drop it, please?" Charlie asks.

"Yeah. Whatever. Sure."

Sun and Jake walk out of the tent together. They go down to the ocean, and walk along the shoreline, letting the icy water wrap around their feet.

"Where is your mother?" she asks.

Jake shrugs. "I don't know."

"Was she on the island with you?"

"For a little bit. Then she just disappeared one day."

"Was it just you and your mother?"

"My best friend was with me, too. He's…somewhere."

"What is his name?"

"Ari."

"How long has he been missing?"

"A long time. I don't really know."

"You know, there's a chance that we could find him," she tells him.

He turns to her, and his eyes seem to glow like neon in the darkness. "How?"

"We have two trackers at the camp, and I believe they could help you."

Before Jake can answer, Jin comes running down to the pair and beings talking to Sun in Korean. His voice gets fast and angry, and every so often, he gestures at Jake. Sun shakes her head and explains something to her husband. Jake stares at the couple, wondering what the hell they were saying.

Finally, their conversation ends. Jin nods slightly at Jake, and hikes back up the sand to the fires.

"My husband," Sun explains. "He is very…protective."

Jake nods. "Uh…what were you saying about the trackers?"

"Oh, they can probably help you find your friend, and your mother, hopefully."

"Would they…uh…go into the jungle?"

"Yes. They would probably want you to go with them, as well."

Jake's eyes widen. His eyes avert from her and fix themselves on the sand before his feet.

"Jake? Is something wrong?"

"I can't go back in there. They'll find me if I go back in there. They'll find me."

Sun watches him, waiting for an explanation. "Who will find you?" she asks after a few minutes.

"Them."

"You don't have to worry. They'll keep you safe. As long as you stay with them, they won't let anyone hurt you," she promises him. "We can ask them about it tomorrow, if you would like."

Jake pauses, thinking the offer over. Finally he answers.

"Yeah. Ask them tomorrow."


	4. City of the Damned

disclaimer: i own no Lost-ness. Jake and Ari are mine. that is all.

and just a little side note: i'm gonna start titling chapters with songs, cause i think song titles are very expressive and, well, cool. anyways, i hope you like this chapter :)

* * *

Jake stares up at the stars, his hands folded over his chest. His feet are buried in the cool, night sand, and he finally feels at ease for once. He crosses his ankles and moves his hands behind his head.

"Hey," Ari says, sitting down next to him.

"Where've you been?" Jake asks.

Ari shrugs. "Around." He toys with the long, white shoelaces of his sneakers.

"For the whole day?"

"Why can't I be?"

"I don't know. It's just, kinda weird, you know?"

"Not really. I just wanted to look around." He pauses. "So, where's your mom?"

"I don't know. She didn't go with you?"

"No," Ari replies hesitantly. "I thought she stayed here."

Jake sits up, his hands covering his eyes. "Oh my God," he mutters. "Are you kidding me?"

"I'd say not. Should we go find her?"

"You have a flashlight?"

Ari pulls a small pocket-size one out of his pocket. "It's all I have," he says apologetically. "Sorry."

"No, that's fine," Jake answers absentmindedly, grabbing for it. "Let's go."

They trek through the darkened jungle, trying desperately to follow the narrow beam of light in front of them. Ari is constantly tripping himself up over his laces. Jake gets sick of it, sits him down, and turns Ari's floppy bows into double knots.

"They aren't coming out now," he tells him, standing back up.

There's a rustle not far from them, and Jake's wrist immediately flicks toward it. Nothing. There's another rustle behind him, and he whips around. Nothing there, either. But there's one problem. Ari was supposed to be there.

"Ari?" Jake asks uncertainly. "Come on, man, this isn't funny. Where are you?"

The only thing that answers him is the wind whispering through the numerous trees surrounding him.

"Ari, get out here!"

Bang.

* * *

Jake sits bolt upright, sweat running down his face. He glances around, panicked. Where's Ari? he asks himself. Where did he go?

As his heart slows to its normal pace, Jake realizes that it was a dream. Nothing more.

But it was a dream about something real.

He remembers all of that. It had really happened to him. It happened when he first came to the island with Ari and his mom. That first night.

It's still dark. He feels the cool ocean breeze rushing over him, and lays back down in the sand. It was only a dream, he tells himself. Only a dream. But his mind doesn't let him forget that last sentence. It was a dream about something real.

* * *

The next day, Sun takes Jake to Locke and Mr. Eko.

"Jake needs some help," Sun begins.

Locke stands up and dusts off his cargo pants. "What might you need help with?"

Jake stares at him. "Y-you have the gun, don't you?" he stammers.

Locke smiles. "I did." He holds up his empty hands. "Not anymore. Don't worry about that."

"What do you need help with?" Eko repeats Locke's question.

"Sun, um, said you could help me find some people…" Jake's voice trails off, unsure of whether or not to continue.

"She did? Well, Sun knows what she's talking about," Locke says, flashing Sun a grin, which she returns rather shyly. "Could you give us a few minutes to talk to Jake alone?"

Sun nods, puts her hand reassuringly on Jake's shoulder, and walks away.

"Who are you looking for?" Eko asks, patting a spot beside him for Jake to sit down. Jake does.

"My best friend, Ari, and my mom," he answers softly.

"How long have they been missing?" Locke wants to know.

"Since we got here."

"Do you know how long you've been on the island?"

Jake pauses. "Like, a few weeks, I think."

Locke raises his eyebrows. "That's interesting," he says, "we've been here for nearly two months."

"Really? Man."

"I believe we can help you find your friends," Eko tells him. "As long as you come with us, to show us where you think you saw them last. Do you know any of that?"

Jake pauses once again, considering what Eko just told him. He sighs. "Yeah, I think I do," he finally answers.

Locke stands up. "Well, then, let's get going, shall we?"

They walk through the jungle, Jake in the middle, occasionally giving faint directions, but otherwise just following Locke and letting his mind and eyes wander.

"How did you get here, Jake?" Locke asks.

"Boat."

"Did it sink?"

"Yeah. Crashed."

"Were there any other survivors?"

"A couple, I think. But they stayed away from us."

Locke turns to him. "Really," he mutters, more to himself than to Jake. "Why was that?"

Jake shrugs. "They were old. Like in their fifties, or something. Maybe sixties. And me and Ari are both sixteen. I guess they just thought we were more trouble than we were worth. At least, that's what my mom said."

Locke nods, and leaves it at that.

They walk more, an endless drought of words between them.

* * *

Jake screams at the gunshot. "Ari!" he yells. "Ari! Say something!"

Suddenly, he feels his ankles whip out from under him. He crashes to the ground face first. Someone drags him into the bushes. He's too shocked to respond. He keeps his eyes squeezed shut, afraid to look at what awaited him.

When he finally opens them, he is staring into two huge, terrified hazel eyes. Ari's eyes. Jake takes in Ari's whole figure. He's got duct tape over his mouth, and his wrists are tied behind his back. Jake examines himself, and realizes that he's in the same state as Ari.

He feels someone's hands grab his own, and his feet are forced forward. Ari walks stiffly alongside him. Jake's eyes avert downward, and widen more than he ever thought they could. Ari must've put up a pretty fierce struggle; a gun was thrust at his back, threatening to go off at any sudden movement.

After what seems like endless walking, they're stopped. The gun is taken away from Ari's back, and a guy, seemingly in his mid-thirties or early forties, stands in front of them.

"Gentlemen," he says, "welcome to your new city. Welcome to the City of the Damned."

* * *

Jake stops suddenly, almost causing Eko to run into him.

"What's wrong?" Eko asks.

"It happened here," Jake answers. He turns to Eko, his eyes wide. "It happened here."


	5. Endless Deep

Just a little heads up: i'm wicked sorry this is extremely short :( i wanted to write more but homework and such is not cool and is not letting me at the moment. But tomorrow's Friday, so hopefully i can get more in. But i wanted to post this part because i feel bad that i am taking so long with new chapters.

many more thanks to **Richard Starkey** for still liking and reviewing the story, and also to **Sharpsnout** for giving me a review too! Many many thanks, and i hope you like this mini segment...thing.

Disclaimer: i own no Lost-ness. i am a proud Jake and Ari owner.

* * *

"So, where do you think he's from?" Claire asks Jack.

"I don't know."

Hurley walks by and shouts to Jack, "Hey, Jack, does anyone know where that kid's from?"

"No, Hurley," Jack answers.

"People ask you that a lot, don't they?" Claire asks, smirking a little.

"Ehh. It's been said before, I guess," Jack sighs. Claire giggles a little.

"You hate it, don't you?"

Jack shrugs. "It's on the borderline," he answers.

Jake leads Eko and Locke around the area for awhile, his eyes wide, searching for any sign of his mom or his friend. After about ten minutes of seemingly meaningless wandering, Eko stops Jake in his tracks.

"Are you sure this is where you were?" he asks.

"Yes," Jake answers. "A hundred percent."

"What happened when you were here?"

"What happened?"

"Yes. What happened." It's not a question anymore; it's more of a statement.

* * *

It's horrible. It's worse than hell. For all he knew, it very well could've been hell.

These guys know what they're doing, even if he and Ari didn't.

"Are you still here?" Jake asks.

He feels Ari hit his face slightly, trying to lighten the mood a little. "Yup."

That's the way Ari is. He'll always try to find the best out of every situation, even if it's death. Jake remembers how Ari had told him that having a gun to his back wasn't that bad, once you got used to it, because he came to realize that the trigger wasn't going to go off anytime soon.

"You guys will be here for awhile, I suspect," a guy mutters, shoving them forward.

"Seems like it, yeah," Ari mutters back, digging his heels into the dirt.

"Ari, stop it!" Jake whispers urgently. "He's gonna shoot you!"

Ari stops, even though his eyes are against it. He still believes he and Jake will get out of this alive.

As they walk forward, staring at their feet, a girl runs into them. She looks up, her eyes wide. They look at her, a bit surprised to see someone around their age. Ari keeps his eyes locked on hers and whispers, "What's your name?"

She pauses, as if she doesn't trust them. Finally, she mouths "Alex," and walks hurriedly away. Jake realizes that it's because she's scared of the guy behind them. He doesn't blame her.

As they walk further, the area gets lighter, and they see a civilization of sorts. It's much more different than the island. There's an amazing amount of technology: computers, TV's, stereos, even a few iPods.

"Damn," Jake mutters. "How'd they get all this down here?"

"With a truck," Ari answers simply.

Jake stares at him. "What?"

"With a truck. From like, Best Buy or somewhere like that."

"We're on an island, Ari. There's no Best Buy around."

Ari turns to him, his eyes narrow. "Weird stuff happens on this island, Jake, huh? Yeah, it does. The stuff came from Best Buy, okay?"

Jake stares at him, a little stunned. "Okay," he answers slowly.

As they walk on, Jake's eye catches a bag. A bag with blue and yellow and black on it. A Best Buy bag.


	6. Bullet With Butterfly Wings

okay, i hope this chapter makes up for my lack of updating! and many thanks to **Richard Starkey, Sharpsnout, and pacejunkie** for reviews: )

disclaiming: i own no Lost stuff or things. Jake and Ari are mine.

* * *

They catch up with the Alex girl later on. It seems like some sort of camp. A hostage camp, Jake guesses it could be called. There are only about a half dozen kids there, but they have yet to see them all. Escape attempts are considered meaningless and impossible.

But Ari thinks one up anyway.

"There's a little hole over near the very back," he whispers to Jake one night. "It's small, but big enough for us to fit through it."

"What about me?"

The two slowly turn around, and see Alex's face in the hollow, artificial-looking moonlight coming from a skylight in the ceiling.

Ari looks her up and down. "You could come, too, if you want," he affirms.

"I'm going," she declares. "When do you leave?"

"As soon as we can figure out the rest of the plan," Ari answers, turning back to Jake. He stares at him straight in the eyes and adds, "We leave tonight."

Alex's eyes widen. "Tonight?" she asks, her voice rather high and shaky.

"That a problem?"

"No, course not. I just thought…maybe you didn't have the whole plan figured out yet, the way you were talking…"

Ari flashes her a smile, moonlight gleaming off his braces.

"We don't."

* * *

"There was a camp," Jake begins. "I don't know if it's still there, but it was. There was a girl, too. A girl named Alex." 

"Alex…" Locke repeats. "What did she look like?"

Jake pauses, trying to remember the mysterious girl he had met seemingly ages ago. "She was sorta tan," he says. "Long, black hair. Straight hair. Big brown eyes. Kinda tall, and skinny. She was skinny."

Locke begins to piece things together. "Did you happen to catch her last name?"

"I dunno. It was something French. That began with an R."

Locke nods. "All right. Continue."

* * *

The guards sleep at night. They're supposed to stay guard all night, because they sleep all day, according to the leader, according to the guy who brought Jake and Ari there in the first place. But the guards don't sleep in the daytime. They go off and get drunk. Where they get drunk is unknown to the threesome, but a lot of things tend to be unknown these days, so who's to say there isn't a bar down there, too? 

"Let's go," Ari whispers, signaling with his hand for them to continue forward. They slink along the slick linoleum floor, their sneakers in hand. That had been Jake's idea; sneakers would squeak. Socks stay silent.

They're serenaded by the soft snoring and sleep-talking of the guards, who are sprawled in different corners of the room.

Suddenly, to their horror, a light switch flickers on.

"Get down!" Jake whispers urgently, pulling Alex and Ari to the floor. They lay there, their faces pressed against the cold, unwelcoming floor, hearts beating out of their chests.

The soft click of expensive shoes echoes on the linoleum. He sneezes. No one wishes that God bless him. It would be to their advantage if God didn't bless him.

After a few minutes of surveying the area, the guy grunts in approval, switches the light back off, and walks out.

They jump up, breathing heavy and fast.

"Holy crap," Alex breathes.

"He'll come back, I'll bet. C'mon, we've gotta go," Ari insists, shoving Jake forward.

They continue their trek through the industrialized jungle, searching desperately for the hole Ari promised was nearby. Finally, Ari locates it.

"Right there!" he whispers excitedly, pointing. "You see it?"

Sure enough, there was a hole in the wall. It wasn't there for a reason; it was just some random hole nobody had bothered to fill up with cement. There was a chair blocking it, but Ari had stumbled over it one day while carrying something. He couldn't see two inches in front of him, he hit the chair, and there was the hole. Just like that.

Ari ushers Alex and Jake through it, then goes in himself. They crawl through the darkness, occasionally hitting one another, but otherwise getting through smoothly.

After what seems like eternities, they make it out into the jungle. Alex's eyes widen. "Oh my God," she mutters.

"What?" Jake asks.

"It's beautiful," she answers, waving her hand around at the vast foliage surrounding them.

"Isn't it?"

Jake freezes. "Ari," he says slowly, "that wasn't you, was it?"

Ari shakes his head slowly.

The guy steps forward, eyes gleaming with intense pleasure. "You haven't been the only ones to find that damn hole," he tells them. "Don't feel proud or accomplished about it."

It's a unanimous decision. After three seconds, they run in different directions. It's elementary, but it's the only thing their panicked minds can think of.

Jake looks over his shoulder nervously. He can see Ari running awkwardly, trying to dodge the numerous roots and plants trying constantly to trip him up. Their pursuer pulls out a gun and aims it at Ari.

"Ari! Behind the tree!" Jake yells, turning around fully now, motioning frantically for Ari to run behind the trees so that the guy wouldn't have a clear shot.

He shoots anyway.

Jake freezes, his eyes wide and terrified. Was the guy's aim really that good? Is anybody's aim that good?

After a few extremely tense moments, Jake can hear Ari's voice, and to his relief, it's far away. He turns himself around and runs.

He skids to a stop when he sees Alex in front of him.

"Jake," she whispers. "Where's Ari? Is he okay?"

"I think so. Yeah, he's fine. He is."

Out of nowhere, his hands start to tremble, and he feels sweat dripping down his face. The trembling moves up his arms, and down to his legs. He collapses.

"Jake!" Alex cries, trying to pull him back up. "What are you doing?"

He doesn't scream. He just lies there, shaking and sweating. He feels lightheaded, and feels himself losing consciousness rapidly. The last thing he sees is the guy approaching Alex from behind.


	7. Tears & Rain

disclaimer: i own no Lost stuff or things. i own Jake and Ari. they are mine.

the list of thank-yous: **Richard Starkey**, **Sharpsnout**, and **Cohen101! **you guys totally rock my socks off i'm glad you're enjoying the story :)

* * *

"Well," Locke says softly. "All right then. Let's go find that hell."

They continue to search until Jake trips over something in the ground. Usually, it would be considered a root or something of the like, but he is nowhere near any underbrush or anything tripable.

"We found it," Eko says, bending down to brush some leaves off of whatever Jake tripped himself up on. It looks like the hatch, but doesn't. It's got a green circle with a guy getting electrocuted painted in black on the door.

"Was it an electrical place?" Locke asks.

Jake shrugs. "No one got shocked."

"No one's quarantined, either," Locke muses.

After a brief pause, Jake bursts out, "Rousseau!"

"What?"

"Rousseau. That was Alex's last name!" Jake repeats, excited to be able to remember something that might be of some value to their search.

Locke's eyebrows raise, his eyes widen. "Really," he says.

"Really really."

Locke nods slightly. "God, I hope she's alive," he mutters under his breath, thinking of Danielle's reaction to knowing that her daughter was safe. Maybe it would stop her paranoia of stuff and things. Who knows? One can only hope for these things.

The door is locked, and nothing within reach is able to get through it. Even Eko's "Jesus Stick" won't do anything save making a dent in it.

"We're going to have to come back tomorrow," Locke decides, straightening himself.

"What? Why?" Jake asks, panicked.

"We have nothing to open this door. There's supplies back at the beach that we can use, but by the time we get back, it'll be dark already. We're better off waiting until tomorrow morning. Plus, it's going to rain soon."

After getting Jake to accept that fact, the trio march back toward the beach. On the way there, Eko stops in his tracks. He's at the back of the line, so Locke nor Jake see him stop.

He sees something in the jungle. Someone. Well, a shadow of someone. "What was his name?" he mutters to himself, trying to remember Ari. Finally, he does.

"Ari!" he yelps, hoping that the person really is him. But when he looks again, the shadow is gone.

"Did you see him?" Jake asks. "Was he there?"

Eko stares, then shakes his head slowly. "No."

Jake's heart sank. Why do they always have to be so damn close? They're micro-millimeters away from what they're looking for, and it disappears. Every time.

* * *

The shadow staggers through the foliage, struggling to find his way through to the shoreline. His heart is pounding; his brain is hoping that the black guy with his stick isn't following him. He doubts it, but keeps going at a steady pace just to make sure. He's discovered that you have to make sure of a lot of things if you want to survive on this godforsaken island.

At last, he feels the warm sand under his sneakered feet. He collapses face first, breathing heavy and fast. The sound of the ocean pounding in his ears is a welcome change to the gunshots, yells, and crackling leaves under the feet of his pursuers. He's managed to lose them many times. He's never been forced to go back. Not yet. He doesn't want to change his luck, so he knocks on the sand. It's just as good as wood to him.

He rolls over so that he faces the deep blue sky. He lays spread-eagle over the sand. Ever since he was little, he's always loved the sand. He slept on it whenever he went down to his grandparents' cottage on the beach, much to his mom's disapproval. Now is no different.

When he feels like he's about to fall asleep, he slowly drags himself over to a little reclusive shelter he made awhile ago out of some branches and leaves. It keeps out the elements, and is subtle enough to be hidden from unwelcome eyes. If you look hard enough, you can see it, but he's usually never there in the mornings, and at night, it's impossible to see it. He never lights a fire at night, and rarely does during the day. He rests his head down on a particularly big mound of sand and falls asleep.

* * *

Locke, Eko, and Jake trudge back to the camp, Jake's feet sore from the unnatural amount of hiking they did.

"Did you find anything?" Claire asks, walking up to them with Aaron in her arms.

"Found something, but we can't go back until morning. It's nearly dark, and it's going to start raining pretty soon," Locke answers.

Claire laughs. "How can you be sure of that?"

"Trust me. It's gonna rain tonight," Locke assures her.

Jake sits on the beach, his arms resting on his knees, eyes staring out at the ocean. It's almost magnetic; he has to fight to take his eyes off of it. He probably would've kept looking at it, but he feels something.

He tilts his head upward and sighs softly, slightly amazed, a bit stunned.

It had begun to rain.


	8. Who Let the Dogs Out?

alrighty, this chapter is just a little random thingie, but i liked it, so i just decided to put it as a little mini-chapter...thing. i hope you like it! i'm hoping to write a long chapter this weekend, so hopefully that'll work out good. THANKS TO: **Richard Starkey (a jig! yay! jigs rock lol many thanks for reading and leaving comments :) i heart them) **and** Sharpsnout (yes, Locke would definitely be an awesome almanac writer lol:) many thanks too for your comments, i heart them as well)**

* * *

The boy wakes up, and sunlight streams into his eyes. He squeezes them shut, irritated by the glaring morning sun. Why does it have to be so sunny in the morning? His eyes are so used to the darkness that it's a major shell-shock for them to open up to this blazing light. He thinks he sounds weird, so he stops and gets up.

It's been about a week since he, Jake, and Alex were separated. It seems like a lot longer to him, but he's not one to count days.

He scuffles around the beach, absentmindedly looking for food or something to appease his empty stomach. He had tried sand a few days ago, but that didn't work out too well. He wishes he had some music or something, or at least someone to talk to. Jake had always been his companion, and, sometimes, his iPod as well. He would constantly catch Jake singing the lyrics of a song to himself. He told Jake that he should be on _American Idol_, but he had a feeling that Jake didn't like that idea, because he flipped him off when it was suggested.

Finally, he finds some fruit near the area where the forest meets the sand. He sits down and unties his sneakers. What good are they when all he does is sit in the sand most of the time? He tosses them aside carelessly; he'll find them when he needs them.

As he bites into a surprisingly fresh mango, he longs for someone to talk to. Anyone would do. Absolutely anyone. He sighs. He can feel some mango lodged in his braces, but doesn't bother to try and get it out. His physical appearance never really meant much to him, unless he was going somewhere really serious. Like his dad's funeral. Jake is his only friend that ever met his dad before he died.

His eyes close again, even though he's not tired. After a few minutes, he hears something breathing beside him. His breath catches in his throat. His heart moves up twelve feet. Slowly, he opens his eyes slightly.

As they regain focus, he sees a friendly yellow face staring down at him.

"Holy crap!" he yells, scrambling away from the visitor. When he finally manages to get a good look, however, he grins to himself. "Holy crap," he mutters again.

It's a dog. He thinks it's a yellow lab. The dog's tongue lolls out of its mouth playfully, and he pads over to him, sniffing his clothes to make sure that he isn't hoarding any food.

"Hey, you," he says, reaching a hand out to pet the dog. "What's ya name?"

The first name that came to his mind is Vincent. It was his dad's name.

"Vincent?"

The dog looks up, wagging his tail, waiting anxiously for him to throw something into the waves for him to fetch.

He stares at the dog, eyes wide. "You've gotta be kidding me." He pats the ground next to him. "C'mere, Vincent," he says. The dog comes and sits down.

He laughs as he rubs under Vincent's ears. "Hey, Vincent," he says. "You ready to listen? I've got a lot to say, so too bad if you're not."

And with that, he begins to talk to another being, something he hasn't done in a long time.


	9. Dream On

i'm really sorry that last chapter was wicked short! come to think of it, it doesn't even deserve to be called a chapter. it was a writer's block blurb, i guess. i don't know. never mind. a note to **Richard Starkey**: thank you for the jig hehe i hope you like this chapter!

* * *

Jake stirs uneasily as he slowly regains consciousness. He hates panic attacks. He hates that he is the only person in his family to ever have them. It could've been his sister, or his mom, or someone other than him, but no, it just had to be him. A lot of things had to happen to him. _He_ had to crash on this island, although his mom and Ari did, too. _He_ had to lose his mom. _He_ had to lose his best friend.

He sits up and rubs the blurriness out of his eyes.

"Jake," a voice sings out tauntingly, "where are you?"

Jake's heart rises to his throat. He can't talk; he can barely breathe.

"C'mon, kid, your friend wants you to come out, yeah he does."

Did they have him? If they did, then Jake felt that he had to give himself up. But what if they didn't? What if they were just saying they did?

He begins to move. He starts off walking briskly, keeping his eyes down, dodging any stray leaves or branches that would crack under his sneakers and give him away. When he feels that he's far enough away, or that they're too close, he breaks out into a sprint.

They begin to run after him, and they run so fast it's like they're on steroids or something. Jake is convinced that they are. Another possibility to him is that they're not human. Either one will work for him.

He runs desperately through the jungle, constantly tripping himself up by stumbling over his untied sneaker laces. He doesn't care; he just wants to get out. He just wants to find a way out. He just wants to leave.

He wants to scream, but his mouth won't open. His brain commands him to stop, but his legs won't listen. He keeps running, eyes wide and nervous. He can't trust anyone. Not now. Not anymore. Not after them.

He glances behind him every so often, just to make sure they aren't following him. Sometimes he thinks he can hear their voices whispering, lulling him to come back, that everything will be better if he comes back.

He's getting more exhausted every second. He begins to gasp, trying to get every ounce of air into his lungs that he can. He can feel his hands shaking uncontrollably. They're cold and sweaty.

His sneakers skid to a stop as Jack grabs him by the shoulders.

* * *

Stupid dreams. They're never good for anything. Ever since he got on the island, Jake has never had a good dream. He used to have tons of them back home. No matter how hard he tries, he can't convince his mind that he's still home, so he's tortured nearly every night by nightmares varying in their amounts of fright.

* * *

"Did you find anything yesterday?" Sun asks, sitting down next to him.

"Yeah, but Locke didn't let us stay. He said we can go back today," Jake tells her.

"Oh, well then you'd better eat some breakfast," she says, handing him a mango and a bottle of water. "You'll want to keep your energy level up."

"Thanks," he says, taking them from her. "Do you know where Locke is? Or Eko?"

Sun pauses. "They were walking down the beach a little while ago, but I don't know where they are now. Why, did they tell you when they were going to leave?"

Jake shakes his head. "That's why I want to know where they are."

"Don't worry," she says, putting her hand on his, "they wouldn't leave without you."

Jake glances down at her hand on his. She is amazingly like his mother. It scares him a little, but he finds comfort in it as well.

This makes him remember that they never found anything out about where his mom was. This thought also scares him. He and Ari never found a trace of her. There was nothing. Nothing at all.

"What are you thinking about?" Sun asks.

"What? Oh, um, nothing, really," he stammers. "Just…stuff."

"Stuff can become a lot easier to bear when shared with other people," she tells him, smiling a little.

The smile does it. Jake places his entire trust in Sun, knowing that she won't tell a soul what he's about to tell her. At least, he hopes she won't.

* * *

"So, this door has a guy getting electrocuted on it?" Jack asks skeptically.

"That it does. And Jake clearly remembers it. It's just like the quarantine sign on the hatch," Locke answers.

Jack turns to Eko. "What do you think?" he asks.

"I think that the boy is missing a lot in his life," Eko says slowly. "He wouldn't lie about something like this."

Jack is silent.

Locke rolls his eyes. "What, Jack, do you think he's one of the Others or something?"

Jack is silent.

"Jack! He _is not_ an Other! Why would you think that he is? What has he done to make you think that, Jack?"

"We can't trust anyone here, John. We can't trust anyone who isn't on the manifest."

"We trust Danielle, don't we?"

"Well, that's different. She--"

"She tortured Sayid," Locke interrupts, "until she figured out that he wasn't going to hurt her. Jake hasn't done anybody any harm. What, do you want Sayid to interrogate him or something?"

"I'm just saying that--"

"If you place your trust other people, they will place their trust in you," Eko tells him. "If you have no reason to suspect them, then don't. You'll be saving yourself a lot of anxiety."

"We're going to help Jake find his friend," Locke says, "whether you like it or not."

They walk out of the tent.

* * *

Jake feels like Sun is his therapist or something. He is comfortable telling her anything. He has laughed with her, something he hasn't done since he and Ari were separated. She is his lifeline here.

Eko and Locke walk up to them. "Hey, Jake," Locke says, "ready to go?"

Jake nods. He stands up and brushes the sand off his jeans. "Thanks for listening," he tells Sun softly.

"You're welcome," she says, smiling. "I can't wait to meet Ari and your mother."

On that note, the trio make their way back into the jungle


	10. Island of the Honest Man

hi again. extending many thanks to **Sharpsnout** for another sock-rocking review :)

just a **note**: i will be gone for the next 10 days, out in Washington DC for vacation, so i won't be updating for that long. i'll try to get another chapter out by tomorrow, but if i don't i apologize in advance for not being here! once i get back i will post some more asap

* * *

The boy makes a leash for Vincent out of a vine he finds a few feet into the jungle. He ties it firmly around the little loop in the dog's collar, and the two of them begin to explore again.

He feels more at ease with Vincent at his side. It makes him feel like he has protection, and that Vincent will ward off any intruders, like a good luck charm.

* * *

"Do we even remember where we're going?" Jake asks, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"We do," Locke answers. He doesn't look at Jake; he just keeps walking, his eyes on his boots. This is a bit of unnatural behavior coming from John Locke, and Jake wants to know why. Usually, Locke would always be good for an assuring smile, or some words of wisdom or something of the like. But today, he seems to have a lot on his mind. At least, that's what Jake hopes.

Eko quickens his pace so that he's walking in stride with Locke. The two converse quietly, so quietly that it arouses Jake's curiosity enough for him to lean forward and try to listen in.

Eko turns to him and says, "Some matters are to be kept between two people. We will let you know when we have a matter that can be kept between three."

Jake stops in his tracks. Eko sure knows how to tell a kid to stop. It's almost a psychological stop. He didn't ask Jake to cease, exactly, but he hinted at it, and that's enough for Jake.

They walk on for a few more yards, and this time Locke stops. "Someone's around," he says softly. "Listen."

They listen. There's a rustling in the underbrush that seems to be coming from nowhere. And then there's panting. Not much, but just enough to be audible.

"Someone with a dog," Eko decides.

"Walt had a dog," Locke mutters. "But he gave him to Shannon. Did Shannon lose him…or is he still somewhere…damn it…"

* * *

"Crap," he mutters, hearing Eko's voice.

"A dog?" another voice asks. "There are dogs on the island, too?"

He recognizes this one. This one's definitely him. It's gotta be him. They never caught him. They couldn't force him to say that. If they tried to, he wouldn't.

"Jake!" he yells.

* * *

"Oh my God," Jake breathes. "Did you hear that?"

"Do you know that voice?" Eko asks.

Jake doesn't answer. He just runs full-speed toward Ari.

"Jake! Jake, it could be a trap! Get back here!" Locke yells.

"No!"

"Jake!"

"Ari!"

* * *

Ari sees Jake burst through the jungle and stumble toward him. He collapses a few feet in front of him, and Ari stares down at him.

"Hey," he says.

Jake jumps up. "Holy crap, have you been here the whole time?"

Ari points behind him. "At some beach," he says. "Is Alex with you?"

Jake pauses, then shakes his head. "No. Is that your dog?"

"No, he just came to the beach some random day, and I needed someone to talk to."

"You're goin' crazy," Jake tells him, grinning.

"I don't see how you can't here," Ari mutters, waving his hand around the vast wasteland of a jungle surrounding them.

At this time, Locke and Eko come trudging out of the jungle, right on Jake's tail.

"Why didn't you stop?" Locke scolds Jake. "What if--"

"It didn't though, did it, Mr. Locke?" Eko asks softly. "Jake found his friend. It's a good day, and we haven't seen many of those lately, have we?"

Locke is silent. He doesn't really know what to say. For once, Eko keeps him speechless.

"We should go back," he finally says. "Ari, you can come with us. I'm sure Jack will want to check you out."

Ari turns to Jake. "Jack?" he asks.

"He's a doctor guy…person…dude. Don't worry, he's nice," Jake assures him. "He'll prob'ly just wanna make sure you're not infected with something, or you're not cut or hurt or anything."

"I'm gonna need so much therapy after this," Ari mutters. He had been going earlier because of his dad's recent death. Boy, was his therapist going to be interested in this. Would he even believe him? Eh. Who really cares? He's been talking to a dog for the past day and a half, and Vincent is as good as any therapist Ari has ever had. He just listens, and occasionally licks to let you know he's still listening. It refreshes Ari to know that someone won't comment on what he thinks.

Four people and a dog make their way through the jungle, back to the camp, back to civilization.

* * *

"Sun, this is Ari," Jake introduces when they get back to the beach. Jack isn't there at the moment; he's at the hatch, so Jake takes the time to introduce Ari to some people.

"Hello," Sun says, smiling warmly. "I've heard a lot about you."

Ari blushes a little. "Um, thanks," he says, staring at his sneakers a little self-consciously.

"Are you always this shy?" Sun asks gently, bending down so that she makes eye contact with him.

"He gets shy when he meets new people," Jake answers.

Sun smiles. "He sounds like you," she says, looking at Jake. "You two make very good best friends."

"Hey! New dude! What's up?" Hurley says, walking over and handing Ari a mango and a water bottle. "Welcome wagon's here. Well, welcome dude I guess you could say. Don't have much to give ya, but…yeah…I guess it's good enough for you." Hurley watches as Ari swigs the water down and takes a few big bites out of the fruit. "You been starving, man?"

Ari shrugs. "Whatever you have here is a lot better than what I had," he answers.

"What'd ya have?"

"Nothing."

"Oh. Yeah, then I'd say this is better." Hurley grins.

"Jake!" a voice calls out.

Jake turns around. It's Jack.

"Ari, that's Jack. C'mon, he's gonna check on you."

Ari hesitantly follows Jake into Jack's tent, occasionally glancing back at the ocean behind him.


	11. Warning Misery

**Richard Starkey: **thanks for the review! i'm glad you liked the Hurley scene loli love writing scenes with him in it he's hysterical jigs also rock my socks i have a collection of them :)

**Sharpsnout:**thanks for the review too! i heart labs too i have one named Jack. thank you, yes, Washington was wicked fun, except for the neverending walking:)

this chapter has two names since i can't decide between the two of them. and i'm hungry and want food. :)

disclaimation: i don't own Lost or Lord of the Rings. i wish i did. that would rock.

* * *

Ari is fine. Nothing is wrong with him. He thinks that nothing is wrong with him. 

Jack thinks differently. He thinks that Ari may be going crazy. He may be. Ari had told him that he used to see a therapist before they crashed. Jack thinks that his mind may have warped or something due to the fact that he's had no one to talk to.

"That's ludicrous, Jack," Locke says. "He's not crazy."

"Can you prove it?"

"Does he seem crazy to you? You were just thinking that Jake is an Other, damn it! Stop worrying about them. There's nothing wrong with Ari physically, and mentally we have no way of knowing, so stop worrying about it. You're going to end up driving yourself crazy."

Ari pokes his head into the tent. "I've been talking to Vincent," he informs them.

Locke glances at him, then turns to Jack. "See, he's been talking to Vincent. The boy is fine. Leave him alone. Let him enjoy the time he has with Jake." He turns back to Ari. "How long have you been separated from him?"

"I dunno, a couple weeks maybe."

"See? He has two weeks of talk and stuff he needs to catch up on with Jake. Let them talk, and then see if you still believe that Ari is going crazy."

"I'm going crazy?"

"No," Locke answers, and at the same time, Jack answers "Yes."

Ari stares at them. "Okay then. Yeah. So. I'll…um…bye." He pulls his head out of the tent.

As he walks back toward Jake, Ari has a flashback of a past conversation he had had with Jake.

_"You're goin' crazy," Jake tells him, grinning._

_"I don't see how you can't here," Ari mutters, waving his hand around the vast wasteland of a jungle surrounding them._

Was he going crazy? Is it possible to think that you're going crazy? Can you make that decision on your own, or do other people decide for you?

A bit freaked out by his own mind, Ari shakes the thought off and continues walking.

"Look what you did," Locke mutters. "You're gonna make him question his own sanity now. If he goes crazy like you say, it's all your fault, you know that? Just let people live."

"We'll see after two weeks," Jack mutters back at him.

"Jack thinks I'm going insane," Ari says, sitting down next to Jake in the sand. "Do you think I am?"

Jake shakes his head. "Nah," he answers. "Jack thinks a lot of things, so I've heard. But he did know about my panic attacks. That was pretty good; no one really knows what they are when I have one for the first time in front of them. They think I'm gonna, like, die in front of them or something."

"You said 'in front of them' twice in two sentences back to back," Ari points out.

"So?"

Ari shrugs. "I dunno. It just sounds weird."

"In front of them. In front of them."

"Yeah. That's weird. Right."

As the two of them continue to ramble on about weird sentence structure and other pointless things people talk about when they're bored, someone screamed. A girl.

"What the hell was that?" Ari yelps, startled.

"I dunno. Come on," Jake answers, pulling Ari to his feet.

"Where are we going?"

Jake points to an area a few yards away from them. "Wherever they're going," he tells him as he breaks out into a run. Ari follows him.

When they get there, they peek over the shoulders of other people surrounding the site.

"I can't see anything," Ari mutters. He grabs Jake's shirt. "C'mon, we're going in." With that, he yanks Jake into the mass of people and leads him to the front.

When they burst out, Jake wishes they didn't go to the front.

His eyes are wide, shell-shocked. His vision becomes blurry with tears, and his body begins to tremble. He opens his mouth to speak, but he can't find the words. Finally, his tears erupt and he breaks down sobbing.

It's his mother.

"Jake…" Ari says softly, embracing his best friend, unsure of what to say in a position like this. He tries to think back to what Jake did for him when his dad died.

"That's…no…she…" Jake stammers, unable to get any real sentences out.

Sun looks at the two of them from across the circle of people. She gasps as she realizes who the woman is. She goes over to Jake and Ari.

"Jake," she says soothingly. "It's all right. It'll be all right. Everyone here will help you through this." She gives him a soft kiss on the top of his head.

Ari can't stand it. He starts crying, too. It reminds him too much of the church, the funeral home, the family members and total strangers who came to honor his dad's life. His dad was a police officer.

"Wait," Jack says softly, then repeats it louder, with more authority. When he has everyone's attention, he continues. "This isn't right. She's not real."

A confused silence envelopes the castaways.

"What the hell you talkin' about, Doc?" Sawyer demands.

Jack lifts up the woman's hand. "This isn't human. It's fake. A prank." Seeing that most people still don't understand, he tries to figure out how to phrase it.

"Like in _Lord of the Rings_!" Charlie yelps. "You guys have all seen that, right?" Most people nod and murmur to themselves about the trilogy.

"You remember when Boromir dies and they send him down the waterfall in the boat? Sean Bean didn't do that; they made a replica of him to send down it," Charlie explains.

"Yeah, Charlie," Jack says, nodding at him. "That's exactly what I'm talking about."

Jake stares at the mangled replica of his mom's body. What if she really is like that? She's gotta be alive somewhere. There's no question now. They've got her, and they want them to know it.


	12. The Shadowing

**Richard Starkey: **yes of course you know how much Charlie loves LOTR. hee i had to put something like that in the story :) Jack weirds me out in the show (if that's even a phrase) so i make him weird other people out here lol

**Sharpsnout: **lol yes thanks i did the walking hurt but it was cool to see everything cause everything is cool. lol i'm glad you liked it yeah i wish he would do that too sometimes i'll picture Merry with a beard like Charlie's when im watching LOTR or Charlie with curly hair and the shortness of Merry when Lost is on :)

**October Sky: **thanks i am glad you like it and thanks also for the constructive stuff i think i wanted the flashbacks to go like the ones in the show do, but they're kinda confusing to read on paper and it's easier to just see them on screen. lol and im glad you liked the Hurley/Charlie thing and the Charlie/LOTR thing, too :)

* * *

It's nighttime now. Most have forgotten about the incident earlier in the day.

But not everyone.

Jake lies awake in a tent that he and Ari share, staring at the flimsy tarp ceiling. His nerves are shot; he's always on edge now, even more than he was before, if that's possible.

He can't figure out why they would do that. They must have a lot of time on their hands. Why would they take all that time and effort to make his mom out of whatever it was she was made of? Jack wouldn't let him near her. Because he's Jack.

Ari's asleep. He always seems to be. He loves to sleep. Always has. He got kicked off the baseball team one year because he slept in too much and missed too many practices. Jake ended up quitting, anyway.

Jake wishes that Ari were awake. He needs someone to talk to. For a split second he's struck with the thought of himself going insane. He lifts his head and bangs it against the sand, and the thought is gone.

He swears it's like some curse on the island. It'll make everyone think they're going insane. It'll drive them to murder. They'll turn on each other.

And everyone will be gone.

A few years later, another boat will sink and end up on the island like his did. And another plane will crash like theirs did. And some forty-something people will be driven to the same fate the island's previous inhabitants were.

What is wrong with him? Ari smacks himself on the forehead sharply with his palm. Why is he thinking like this? Does he want it to happen?

Or it's real.

The curse could be real.

At around eleven thirty, Jake's eyes slowly open. Staring down at him is Ari, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. Suddenly, he squeezes Jake's cheeks together so that he can't talk and says, "Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey!"

Jake laughs and swipes a hand at his friend. "How old is that show?" he asks.

"I liked it. Stupid Nickelodeon, canceling all the cool animal shows," Ari mutters, his arms folded across his chest. One of Ari's favorite shows when he was younger was _The Wild Thornberries_. And _Rugrats_. Cartoons were his life, and in a way, they still are.

When the two walk outside, Ari spots a comic book peeking out from a sand dune. He runs over to it. Jake walks. Now that he's got a view of Ari running, Jake decides that he runs a little like Napoleon Dynamite. His hands are jammed into his pockets, he looks at the ground a bit, and he kicks his feet up high. Maybe he just has too much time on his hands, but that's what he thinks.

"Check this out!" Ari says excitedly, flipping through the book as he walks back to Jake. "It's like…in…Spanish." His voice fades away in surprise. He looks up at Jake. "You know any Spanish?"

"Lemme see it." Ari hands it over, and Jake skims it. He can make out a few words and phrases, but not enough to put a storyline together.

"I think they start teaching that kinda stuff in Spanish four," he answers.

"Crap. What a waste of a comic book."

As he hands it back to Ari, Jake notices something he hadn't seen before. In the illustrations, there's one guy with earlobe-length sandy blonde hair, women's sunglasses, faded jeans, and a button-down shirt. He's sitting against a cooler or something, reading a book. _Watership Down_.

Ari keeps the comic book, claiming that he can still look at the pictures. As they walk along the shoreline, they see Sawyer sitting against a cooler. Jake's breath catches in his throat. Sawyer's wearing women's sunglasses. Faded jeans. Button-down shirt. He's reading a book.

Jake begins to get nervous. What book? He has to know. What book…what book…he feels like he's in a trance.

Without thinking, he goes up to Sawyer, bends down, and cranes his neck so that he'll have a better angle to view the book's title. Sawyer notices him and puts the book down.

"C'n I help you, Tex?" He notices that Ari is with him, and rephrases. "C'n I help you Texans?"

"We're from Connecticut," Ari answers.

"Good for you. Did you want me to say 'C'n I help you, Connecticutians?"

"What book are you reading?" Ari asks.

Sawyer shows him the cover. _Are you There, God? It's me, Margaret_. "You got a problem with Judy Blume?"

"No," Jake answers, relived.

They walk away.

As they walk, the comic Sawyer's book changes from _Watership Down_ to _Are you There, God? It's me, Margaret_.


	13. Family Snapshot

**disclaimation**: nothing in this story that's seenon TV is owned by me.

* * *

That's too weird. It's too weird to be real. After repeating this to himself about a million times, Jake finally persuades himself to believe it.

This island is too weird to be real. But it is.

"Hey," Ari says, waving his hand in front of Jake's face, "whatcha lookin' at?"

"Nothing…" he says, his eyes drifting back towards the comic book jammed into Ari's back pocket.

Ari notices and pulls it out. "You want it?" he asks. Jake looks up at him, almost cautiously, and takes it. "As long as you give it back, you know? I might wanna look at the pictures sometime. God, I sounded like a kindergartener. I only read books with no words, just pictures." He continues walking along the beach, leaving Jake to drag behind and study the pictures more closely.

When he gets to the Sawyer picture, he's a little freaked out to see that not only is Sawyer holding the Judy Blume book, but there are also two kids standing in front of him. One is bending down, seemingly trying to get a glimpse of the book cover. Another is sort of gazing off into space. He looks kind of bored.

He drops it. He doesn't know why. More instinct. He stares at it, lying limply at his feet, just an ordinary comic book in Spanish.

That's all it is, Jake realizes. It's nothing else. It might have some curse on it, like the whole godforsaken island does. Nothing's wrong with it.

Please, God, let nothing be wrong with it.

He decides that it's probably nothing to worry about, and when he goes down on one knee to pick it up, he notices a flash in the jungle. He looks up.

There's someone in the trees. Jake can see him clearly now that he knows he's there. He's sitting there, his legs dangling off the side, a camera around his neck. And he's taking pictures.

And the pictures are going into the comic book. Just like that.

Jake stares at him, and he stares back. He's got wild black hair and blue eyes, a weird pairing Jake's never seen before. But then again, it's kind of familiar. He just sits there, frozen. Jake just stands there, frozen as well. They're caught up in a silent, unannounced contest.

And Jake isn't going to lose. He's determined not to.

He doesn't. The kid jumps off onto another branch, and then onto another, until he's on the ground. He begins to walk toward Jake, and Jake begins to back away.

The kid stops, his eyes wide. He tilts his head a little to the side and stares at Jake some more, kind of like a curious puppy does when he meets someone new. Finally, he speaks.

"They…they killed her," he stammers, his knees shaking a little.

"What are you talking about?"

The kid waves his hand unconsciously toward another vacant area. "I saw it. They made me watch. They…" His voice trails off as he squeezes his eyes shut. "…tortured her. No stopping. Endless. Oh, my God."

"Who did they kill?" Jake asks, intrigued by the boy.

"K. Ara. Kara."

If possible, Jake's eyes widen even more than they already were. His breath catches in his throat. _No_, he tells himself, _they just bluffed it yesterday. They couldn't have already killed her. This kid is lying. He's just a scout. Don't believe him._

"Liar," Jake breathes.

The boy's eyes are brimming with tears. "No, I swear!" he insists. "I swear to God! Jake, I swear to anyone you want! I wouldn't lie to you about this!"

Jake stares at him, taken aback. A jolt of memory hits him like lightning. He remembers the boy with the blue eyes and black hair. It's Mike.

Mike was in the "City of the Damned" with him, Ari, Alex, and the other kids. He was extremely shy, and didn't talk to many people. When he did, though, Jake remembers him as always being nice, and never saying anything bad about anyone. He was very good friends with one kid, named Greg. Greg was a bit more outgoing than Mike, but they had enough in common to become friends, apparently.

"Mike," he says slowly. After having the name sink in, he goes up closer to him. "Mike. Are you okay? Did they let you out of there? Where's Greg?"

Mike stares down at his worn Converses and doesn't answer at first. After a minute or two, he looks up at Jake. "They picked two. A kid and a grownup. And they picked another to watch. I watched. Against the wall. They wouldn't let me look away or close my eyes. Everything…everywhere…I threw up. I…he…help me…I couldn't…saw him die…she went next…"

Mike collapses. He breaks down sobbing, and Jake drops to his knees next to him. Before he knows it, he can feel hot tears staining his cheeks. On instinct, he embraces Mike, and he feels Mike's arms behind his back.

"I'm so sorry," he cries, shaking his head. "I couldn't help them…I…"

"Mike, don't…" Jake says, his voice cracking in between tears. "It wasn't your fault. Nothing was your fault. C'mon, Ari's here, too."

Jake helps his friend up and the two make their way to Ari, who's way up ahead of them. His mind is in shock. His mother is dead. Officially. Mike wouldn't lie. It's too hard for him to grasp. He knows he'll grasp it later on, maybe in the middle of the night, and break down entirely. But he doesn't want to think about it.

"Hey, Mike, um, what're you doing with that camera?"

Mike stares down at the device hanging around his neck. "They sent me out to take pictures of you. Like a scout, I guess. I don't know." He glances at the comic book and gasps a little. "That's it!" he says, pointing with one hand, wiping his face with the other. "They all have those. There are camera people out everywhere. And they take pictures. It's like a…security…camera."

"So they're always watching us?"

"Always and forever is what they said. Jake," Mike says softly, "if they find me…if they do…they won't need a kid for their next one. Only a grownup."

"They won't find you," Jake assures him firmly. "They won't find you. You'll be safe here. Everyone will be. Don't worry."


	14. A Million Miles Away

**marco1094: **thanks i'm glad you liked it:-) yes the City of the Damned is like, the city to be inlol especially if Green Day is there

**Richard Starkey:** lol psychadelic! that word is so cool :-) i'm glad you liked the chapter!

**disclaimer: **i own no Lost stuff or things. Except for the fan guides, the season 1 dvd, and those little trading cards. ;-)

* * *

"Mike?" Ari asks. "What're you doing here?" 

"Um, I'll tell you later, okay?" Jake answers hurriedly, noting the pained look in Mike's eyes.

Ari shrugs, not realizing the seriousness of the matter. "Okay. So, now what?"

There really is nothing else to do. There's a certain phobia that they all have of going into the jungle alone, so they can't go looking for anyone without Jack, Locke, Eko, or anybody.

So they play hangman in the sand. After awhile, though, that gets boring. Anything gets boring after awhile. But they find ways to pass the time until the sun is replaced by the moon.

That night, Jake lies awake, contemplating the events that had occurred earlier in the day. His mother is gone, his mommy is dead. There is no bringing her back. Tears form in his eyes. He tries to choke them back, but it's useless. They come flooding anyway, and after a few seconds, he doesn't try to stop them.

Jake thinks of something. What else is there to live for, really? Ari. But anyone else? Does anyone know that they're on this island? Does anyone _care_?

If they _do_ care, why aren't any search parties coming around to look for them? God, it can't be that hard to find, can it? It's an island! A big chunk of land in the middle of water! It's not like they're totally isolated from civilization.

He hopes.

He repeats the question in his mind. _Does anyone care?_ He sounds increasingly desperate each time he repeats it, and each time, he gets more and more unsure of the answer.

Finally, he decides. No one off this island cares. His fellow castaways on the island care; they're his family now. They have to be. Who else can be?

No one, that's who.

* * *

It rains. It keeps raining. All day long. 

"Why won't the damn rain stop?" Ari moans, holding his head, shaking it back and forth slightly as if he has a migraine.

"Because it knows you don't like that it's still going," Jake answers absentmindedly.

"Haha, very funny," Ari says mockingly. He lays down on the sand and stares up at the tent ceiling. He rolls over, props himself up on his elbow, and begins a new conversation.

"So, Mike," he begins, "you never said what happened. Like, how'd you get here? Is Greg with you?"

Mike reddens. "I, um," he stammers, licking his lips, trying to distract Ari so that he won't have to re-explain everything. But Ari has a one-track mind.

"Uh…hey, Ari!" Jake says, putting some false enthusiasm in his voice.

"Yeah?"

"Um, can you come over here for a second?" he asks, motioning toward another area of the tent.

"If I do, will I be able to find out what you guys aren't telling me?" Ari asks skeptically.

"Yeah."

"Swear?"

"Yeah. Now come on."

Ari gets on his hands and knees and crawls over to where Jake is sitting. He looks up at Jake with eyes that look like a little kid's who's about to have a story told to him by his grandpa.

"Tell me a story," he says in his little-kid voice.

Jake stares at him. Ari rephrases.

"Okay, sorry. What happened?"

And Jake spills it. He tells Ari everything. Every last little thing. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Mike flinch at certain parts.

When he's done, Ari sits there, stunned. His eyes gaze in front of him. He's not looking at Jake. He can't bring his eyes to him.

"God, Jake," he mutters. "I'm sorry. That…that's the worst."

And he knows it.

There's an awkward silence between the three of them that lasts for around thirty seconds, filled only by the raindrops ceaselessly pattering on the shelter. Then something else fills the silence, overpowering the rain.

A gunshot.

A scream. Another gunshot.

The three lock eyes, and a unanimous, silent decision is made. They stumble for the tent opening and peek their heads out, all at the same time.

Sawyer is right next to them, his feet planted firmly in the sand, his arms out straight, holding a gun. He shoots seemingly every ten seconds. He doesn't notice them.

They peek their heads out a little further, and Jack is there, too, with Sayid and Locke. They have guns as well.

"What the hell is going on?" Ari whispers in between shots.

Right when he says this, a bullet comes whizzing by Mike's head, missing it by inches. All three of them simultaneously pull themselves back in, breathing fast and hard. Mike swallows.

"Did that hit you?" Jake asks.

"No," Mike breathes. "I promise, if it had, you would've known."

Finally, Ari gets up the courage to look out again. After about a minute, he comes back in with some company. Claire, with Aaron, and Sun.

"What's happening out there?"

"They're here," Sun says softly, almost disbelievingly. "They came."


	15. Mad Season

**Sharpsnout: **thanks for the review! i'm glad you liked it :-) ew finals. yucky lol

**note: **okay, yeah, this chapter doesn't surpass more than 500 words, but i feel bad for not posting more often, and this is as much as i can get out tonight, cause of finals and projects and stuff. another chapter will be up tomorrow. i'm really sorry for the shortness of this one! the next one will be longer, i pinkie swear :-)

* * *

They half-collapse, stunned. They were here? They came back? Why? When?

More gunshots pierce the air as they try to piece together different random parts of the situation. Could they get killed? Could their whole civilization be wiped out by this attack?

Or did they just come for captives? Imagine the possibilities. They don't want to. But you can, if you want.

"How long have they been here?" Ari asks.

"Not long. Maybe five minutes," Claire answers.

"Who's fighting them?"

"Basically, everyone who has a gun, or anyone who was able to get one from Sawyer."

Aaron begins to cry from all the havoc going on around them, and Claire tries desperately to soothe him, praying that his wails wouldn't be heard over the gunfire.

"It's okay, baby, it's okay," she coos. "It's going to be all right. Mommy's here. Mommy's here."

"Do you think we could get some guns?" Jake asks in a low voice.

"Are you crazy? You want to go out there?" Ari asks.

Jake nods, picturing himself blowing the brains out of one of them, their blood staining the sand, just as his mother's did. He wants revenge. And he'll get it alone if he has to.

"I'm going," he says, standing up. "If you're coming…"

Mike looks hesitantly at Ari. Ari shifts his jaw in thought. He shakes his head slowly and shrugs. "We've been through this much," he muses.

Mike bites his lower lip. "Okay," he says, standing up. "But where do we get the…um…the guns?"

He's uncomfortable with the situation. Jake can tell. He's seen too much already. It's like he's been through a war and lived to tell about it, just like a grandpa would.

"They must be in Sawyer's tent," Ari mutters.

"Which would be…where?"

"Eh. Somewhere. It's big, isn't it, Jake?"

Jake nods, trying to mentally prepare himself for what he's about to do. After a few minutes, he's not sure if he can do it anymore. Shooting a guy down in cold blood. Could he really make himself do it?

_They did it to your mom. Your mom is dead because of them._

But could he do it to them?

_Of course. All you do is make sure it's loaded, aim, and pull the trigger. Bam, bam, bam._

What if he misses?

_Shoot again. Get your revenge._

What if he gets shot?

_Then you get shot trying to avenge your mom's murder. You'll get shot a hero._

What if he dies?

_Then you'll see your mom again._

He hates the voices in his head.


	16. Vertigo

The trio head out, much to the anxiety of Claire and Sun, but they do it anyway. 

"We must be going crazy," Mike muses.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Ari answers.

They slink along the edge of the jungle, avoiding eye contact with anyone. Everyone's out there fighting: Sawyer, Jack, Charlie, Sayid, Bernard, Jin. There are probably more somewhere, but they just can't see them.

Suddenly, Ari trips himself up on something in the brush. He crashes to the ground and flinches as twigs and leaves crack under his weight.

"Damn," he snaps, angry at his klutziness.

"What was that?" Jake asks.

Ari reaches down and pulls up a rope. He stares at them. "Trip trap. Say that ten times fast."

"Yeah. We needed that humor, man," Mike says, lending Ari his hand.

When he does, though, someone hears them. And it's not a good someone.

"Damn," Ari says softly.

"Run," Jake whispers. The guy raises his gun and points it at them. "Now. We need to run."

They all want to, but fear has taken over their minds, like it usually does during times like this. They stand there, their eyes wide, bodies resembling those of a deer's in a car's headlights.

The guy's finger wraps itself around the trigger, and three echoing bangs echo throughout the area. They feel nothing. They look down and see no blood. The shooter has collapsed, sand around him being stained a deep red. And there's Sayid behind him, frozen.

"Holy crap…" Mike's voice trails off as his eyes take in something that's become repetitive to him.

"What are you doing out here?" Sayid asks, eyes darting around nervously.

"We want to help," Jake tells him determinedly.

"You want to help?" Sayid sounds genuinely surprised at this. "Does anyone else know you want to help?"

"No, except for Claire and Sun."

"Do you have any guns?"

"No. That's where we're going. To get some."

Sayid shakes his head and mutters something under his breath.

"This is too dangerous," he tells them.

"This whole island is too dangerous," Jake insists, "but we're still here. Mike watched his best friend here and my mom--_my_ mom--get killed by them. The whole godforsaken place is too dangerous, but everyone else is doing something."

Sayid looks at Mike, who stares at the ground. He turns back to Jake. "Do you want to fight in order to help, or is your main purpose to get revenge?"

Jake opens his mouth to answer, closes it, then tries again. Nothing comes out. Sayid's right. He only wants revenge. But he's got no right to deny him that. No one does.

"We need those guns," he repeats in a low voice.

Sayid stares out at the fight going on. It's mystical, almost dream-like. Everything seems to be going on in slow motion, like a DVD that's playing frame by frame. Finally, he takes a gun from behind his back and hands it to Jake.

"You'll have no time to get three," he says. "Not if you want to live." With that, he runs back into the skirmish.

Jake fingers the grip on the gun, his hand taking the shape of the new object.

"What do we do, then?" Ari wants to know.

"Cover me," Jake answers quickly.

"What?" Mike yelps. "Like, you mean, go in front of you and take a bullet if it goes your way? Is that it?"

"No. Like, just, I don't know, tell me if someone's coming or something," Jake says, stumbling over his own words.

"Um, Jake?" Ari asks.

"Yeah."

"Someone's coming."

Jake turns around, and feels the gun being ripped out of his hand and banged down on his head. He collapses, his head throbbing. He can see the same being done to Ari and Mike. He tries to act unconscious, but it doesn't fool their attacker. He brings the gun down a few more times, and everything goes black.

* * *

His head hurts.

As Mike slowly opens his eyes, he feels extremely lightheaded and dazed. There's someone standing above him, but he can't make out who it is. Not that he'd recognize the person, anyway.

Once his vision clears, he squints, and sees a girl about his age, peering down nervously at him. Then it hits him.

"Alex!" he yelps, jumping up a little. Panicked, she clamps her hand over his mouth.

"Quiet!" she whispers urgently. "They can't hear you."

She removes her hand and pulls him up by his wrist. Mike shakes his head a little in an effort to clear it, but it doesn't work too well.

She leads him down a brightly lit hallway that reminds him of a hospital. She turns to the left and opens a door. Suddenly, voices echo from the other side of the hall. She shoves him inside, goes in herself, and shuts the door behind them.

"Where are we?" Mike whispers. There are no lights on in the room, and he has a feeling that Alex has no intention of turning them on.

"The hatch," she breathes.

The hatch. Mike has heard of it. The name has been sprinkled in various conversations of the other castaways', but he's never seen it.

"It's not your hatch," she informs him. "It's theirs. Otherwise I wouldn't be trying to get you out."

"Where are Ari and Jake?"

Alex is silent. "I dunno," she answers finally. "I couldn't find them. Only you."

"You found us."


	17. Having a Blast

**Marco1094:** thanks! i'm glad you liked it i liked writing that chapter :-)

**note from me: **okay i'm wicked sorry it took me like forever to post a new chapter, and to top it off, it's short. i have 3 projects due for school pretty soon, but once they're gone, i'll make chapters that are longer and have less droughtness in between them haha

* * *

"Where were you?" Alex asks urgently.

"In here," Jake breathes softly.

"The whole time?"

"Whole time."

"How'd you pull that off?"

"Long story."

"We've got time," Mike insists.

"Not a lot," Alex tells them. She turns to Ari and Jake. "Make it quick," she commands.

"Okay." Ari sighs, trying to figure out how to begin their story. He glances to Jake for help.

"Basically, there's booze on this island. And apparently, lots of it. They were out in like, ten minutes," he explains.

"That's not a long story," Mike accuses.

"It sounded better than saying 'Short story' though, didn't it?" Ari asks, grinning a little.

Mike tilts his head to the side, as if he is thinking this over. "True," he finally answers.

Alex peeks out of the window and points downward. They don't notice him, so she kicks Jake in the shin.

"What was that?" he asks, rubbing his shin.

"Get down!" she hisses.

They go down. Alex presses her ear to the door, and listens hard.

"Nah, they're all gone."

"You don't know where they went? At all?"

"Nope."

"Damn it. He's gonna kill us, you know that?"

"Not if we kill them first."

"How the hell are we supposed to do that?"

"Easy." There's a short, uncertain silence, and then a soft chuckle from one of them.

"God, you're a genius."

"I know. It's a gift."

They walk away, still chatting aimlessly with each other about little random tidbits.

Alex's hands are covering her eyes as she shakes her head slowly.

"What were they talking about?" Ari asks.

"The button," she answers.

"What?"

"Or the key. They're the same thing, only with different forms."

"Did you know about this already?" Jake asks.

Hesitantly, she nods. "I've known about it ever since I came here. I just had no idea they knew how to use it."

"What exactly does 'it' do?" Mike wants to know. Actually, he's not sure if he wants to know, but it's better than saying "asks" again.

Alex sighs. "You don't want to know. You really, really, don't."

"Does it fry us?"

Her mouth twists a little. "Um…in a word…basically."

"Oh."

They take this news almost a little too calmly, Alex thinks. Why aren't they shaken up? Are they at all? Or what? She is confused. She knows she would be upset.

"We need to leave," she whispers urgently. "Before they press it while we're in here."

They've realized. They know. They're in trouble. She can dimly see Jake's hands shaking. She grabs them and holds them in her own.

"We're gonna get out," she assures him. "Don't freak out on us now. Just pull through this once. Then you can get panic attacked all you want. I promise."

Jake swallows hard and long. Finally, he nods. She doesn't let go of his hands.

Following her example, Ari and Mike hold hands as well. They glance up at each other, and gasp. They fling each others' hands away, their eyes wide and embarrassed.

"That was just because they--" Mike begins.

"Yeah, dude. I got it," Ari assures him.

"Let's get out of here before we get blown up."


	18. The Breaking of the Fellowship

thanks to**marco1094 **for reviewing the last chapter!

man, i took way too long putting this one out. but i do notice that it's one of the longer ones (yay!) and i hope that somewhat makes up for the time delay. i'm really sorry for taking so long!

Last chapter alert!

* * *

So, they get out. It is surprisingly easy for them to escape, which causes them to second-guess their safety. They've been around long enough to second-guess everything.

"You guys ever think that maybe, like, we should just quit?" Mike asks suddenly.

"What?" Ari replies, skidding to a stop and turning to stare at Mike. Jake shoves him, a sign to keep moving but keep talking.

"You know, like the reset button on a video game. Or, maybe not even that. You know, like, just…start over…" Mike muses.

"You want us to kill ourselves," Alex mutters suddenly.

"What?" Jake replies this time, stunned. Was killing themselves ever even an _option_? "You think we should kill ourselves?"

"I dunno. I mean…never mind."

"No. So, you think that if we kill ourselves, everything will end and we can start over?" Jake asks.

"Well, I dunno. For a little bit, I guess I thought it might work. I mean, at the moment when I thought it, it seemed that anything could be better than this island."

Jake thinks this over.

"Could that seriously work?" Ari asks suddenly. "Seriously, guys, what if it's a test? Like, what if we're all dreaming this, and if we kill ourselves, it'll all work out? We'll wake up, you know?"

Alex stares at him. "Are you kidding me?"

"No, I'm serious! Seriously! What if that worked?" Ari asks. He turns to Jake. "Whadda you think, Jake? Seriously, don't you think that'd work?"

Jake shrugs. "You never know. I mean, I'd be willing to try anything on this place." His voice trails off, but then comes back. "But, I mean, killing ourselves? Kinda does sound extreme, Ari. Hugely extreme."

"But what if it's the only way?" Ari insists. "Mike agrees with me, dontcha, Mike?"

Mike nods slowly. "It really does have some pretty good possibilities," he tells them. "But, I mean, don't blame me if it doesn't work."

"Mike, if it doesn't work, we'll all be dead anyways," Jake points out.

"At least we'd all die together. Either that, or we keep living on this damn island," Alex decides.

Jake sighs deeply. "All in favor…"

Three of the four raise their hands. Jake's remains at his side. Finally, though, he lifts it up.

* * *

They decide that they want to keep it quick. They don't want to try it, and then end up just getting seriously wounded and having to stay on the island even longer. Guns are finally settled upon as the most logical choice. 

As the time passes, each of them becomes a bit more comfortable with the idea. They begin to daydream about seeing their families again. Getting off of the island becomes a reality to them. It's possible, and it's just out of arm's reach.

Jake distracts Jack by pretending to have a slight panic attack. Ari and Mike scurry into the tent and find four guns after a few minutes of searching. They slink out the back and hand them to Alex, who runs a few yards into the jungle. She waits there for the threesome to meet her.

They do.

And it begins.

"Okay, how're we gonna do this?" Jake asks.

"Isn't it obvious?" Ari asks. "We just pull the trigger. Bang bang boom boom. Right?"

"Yeah…I guess," Jake answers.

Alex puts a hand on his shoulder. "Are you still okay with this?" she asks softly.

"Yeah," he tells her, nodding a little. "I'm okay."

"Okay."

Jake cringes as he feels the sleek metal of the gun pressing against the side of his head. _You'll get out of it_, he assures himself. _You guys will all get off this island and never have to worry about it again. Never._

"A-are you guys ready?" Ari stammers. His hand holds the gun shakily. Jake knows that he wants to drop it. So does Alex. He can't tell what Mike is thinking. For the short time that he'd known him, he never really could.

"One," Ari says.

"Two," Mike mutters.

"Three," Alex adds.

"F…four," Jake whispers.

Three gunshots echo throughout the jungle. The fourth ceases to go off.

The bodies of Jake, Alex, and Ari collapse to the ground, the guns skittering out of their hands and across the foliage.

Mike stands there, his whole body shaking. Tears stream down his face uncontrollably. Finally, he swallows, and represses the gun to his head.

Before he can attempt to pull the trigger, another hand knocks it away from him. Mike turns quickly and stares into the eyes of a tall man in a bright yellow suit.

"One, two, three, four," the man counts. He pulls out his own gun and takes Mike out of his misery.

"Children," he says, re-pocketing the gun. "Such a waste of time." As he walks away, a small picture of a boy falls out of his pocket. Walt is scrawled in hasty handwriting underneath the photo. The wind carelessly flips the photo over, and there is a picture of a baby. The name Aaron is written under this one.

Sticking to the picture is another one. It's not a photo, though; it's simply a piece of paper withBaby Sunwritten on it.

Unaware that he is missing something, the man pulls out a small pad of paper and a pencil. He drags the pencil across the paper four times, and the paper and pencil disappear once again into his suit pocket.

"Four down, three to go."

As he walks along, he mutters to himself, "They can't keep using the same tactics. These people will catch on sooner or later. And sooner or later they will rebel. What will we do then? We're lucky these kids fell for it. The next kids might not. And we could be in major trouble.

"The next kids might not."

* * *

Well, i believe that concludes my story. i hope you all liked it! and i once again apologize for the major delays in between chapters and stuff. 

i hope to write another story soon, if it works out that way. until then, adios & aurevior ( --no idea how to spell that) & an Elvish Namarie ( --farewell) haha i spend too much time memorizing LOTR dialogue.


End file.
